TAR UMT Student Bags MDEC PDTI Outstanding Student Award 2025

Liew Qi Jian (pictured above) was named Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation’s (MDEC) Premier Digital Technology Institution (PDTI) Outstanding Student Award 2025 winner after a successful and eventful 2025 for the Bachelor in Data Science (Hons) student.

The MDEC PDTI Outstanding Student Award is a national-level recognition to celebrate top students in digital technology from Malaysian institutions recognised as PDTIs. The accolades are often awarded to students who demonstrate excellence in digital skills, innovation, and high employability potential.

For Qi Jian, he is grateful for the recognition as the award is the result of his hard work both in and out of the classroom.

“While maintaining a good CGPA, I have also participated in many hackathon competitions and secured about 30 victories, including 19 international wins.

“I believe my academic knowledge, technical excellence and proactiveness led to me winning the award, even though it was quite a surprise. I feel a deep sense of gratitude towards my supervisors, mentors, and teammates, as their guidance and support were the primary catalysts that enabled me to reach this milestone,” said Qi Jian, who also co-founded the TAR UMT Blockchain Club back in 2023.

“I co-founded the club to bring together TARCians who are passionate about blockchain and its related technologies. We started the club with just 15 members, and to date, the club has more than 70 members. Through our club activities, we established many strategic partnerships with global blockchain protocols and industry leaders, all while maintaining a strong and successful competitive track record in local and international competitions. The club was also named Club and Society of the Year in TAR Awards 2024 and 2025. As one of the founding members, I am very proud and grateful to have established a club which continues to gain momentum in strengthening students’ passion towards blockchain,” he added.

The former student of Chong Hwa Independent High School (KL) also shared his secret to success on multiple fronts – advanced time management.

“Balancing my academics, club activities, and preparing for hackathons was quite a challenge. Navigating tight deadlines was a rigorous test of my endurance and organisational skills, but I was able to make it work and discover a level of efficiency and confidence I did not realise I had in myself,” he added.